Declan Rice will go down as one of the best midfielders in West Ham United history, coming through the club’s academy before making a huge impact on the first team.
The England international ended up making 245 appearances for the Hammers over a seven-year period – playing an integral role in the club’s Europa Conference League back in the 2022/23 campaign.
However, he would depart the London Stadium the summer after the triumph, joining Arsenal in a £105m deal which to this day stands as a record for an English player.
Whilst it was a huge fee to receive for an academy graduate, his departure left a sizeable hole in the middle of the Irons midfield – with former boss David Moyes unable to plug the gap left by the 25-year-old.
New boss Julian Lopetegui was given the opportunity to address the issue this summer, signing one player who is yet to make a positive impression after his move during the transfer window.
Guido Rodriguez’s stats for West Ham
Argentinian holding midfielder Guido Rodriguez joined West Ham on a free transfer from Spanish side Real Betis after his contract expired back in June.
He looked set to join European giants Barcelona for many months last season, but Lopetegui was able to convince the 30-year-old to move to the London Stadium and be a part of the Spaniard’s project.
Despite the original hype around his move to England, he’s failed to kick on in the Premier League, struggling to make an impact for the Hammers.
He’s started each one of the club’s Premier League matches this season, but has only won 36% of the tackles he’s entered this season, whilst also committing seven fouls.
Rodríguez has also been dribbled past five times – nearly once per game – whilst only completing one dribble all season, looking lacklustre and off the pace in certain situations.
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Guido Rodriguez’s stats for West Ham in the PL (2024/25) |
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|---|---|
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Statistics |
Tally |
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Games played |
6 |
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Minutes played |
463 |
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Pass accuracy |
84% |
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Successful dribbles |
1 |
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Tackles won |
36% |
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Fouls committed |
7 |
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Dribbled past |
5 |
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Stats via FotMob |
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His dismal start to life in London was compounded against Chelsea, after being dragged off by Lopetegui after just 38 minutes and replaced by Tomas Soucek.
However, there’s another talent who plied his trade at the London Stadium before Rodriguez’s arrival, with his teammate also failing to fill the void left by Rice in the summer of 2023.
The West Ham player who’s been as poor as Rodríguez
Edson Alvarez moved to West Ham in a £35m deal from Ajax last summer, brought in to act as a replacement for the outgoing Englishman.
He was an important player for Moyes last season, featuring in 31 league matches, with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola dubbing him a “very intelligent player“.
However, this season he has failed to live up to expectations, with the Mexican midfielder often looking rash and sluggish when called upon in midfield.
He’s only started three games in the Premier League this season, even receiving a red card in the Carabao Cup defeat against Liverpool last week, after two yellows in quick succession.
Alvarez has also committed eight fouls in the league, an average of two per game, whilst only winning 48% of his duels – often coming out second-best in midfield.
He’s failed to be the player many expected him to be upon his move to the London Stadium, with his erratic displays often costing his teammates and Lopetegui – as seen against Liverpool.
The £35m fee the club paid for him last summer now looks to be a mixed investment, with the former Ajax player needing to massively step up his game if he is to be a regular in the side this season.